Southampton was in a free fall at the time and battling in the relegation spots. Their manager Ian BRanfoot had attempted to add some experience and wise head in the squad by signing free agent and then recently sacked Manchester City player-manager Peter Reid with a clear mandate to steer the south coast club clear of the bottom.
Reid had spent a week in training with the Saints before signing a contract with them which allowed him to leave for nothing should a managerial post become available for him to take.
Ian Branfoot said “Peter is doing us a favour and we are doing the same for him. He is very experienced and will be a help to us at a difficult time. If he gets the chance to get back into coaching or management while he is here we will not stand in his way. I have still got a lot of players unavailable through injury and Peter’s presence will help us out.”
